365
Days in Horse Country – Xenophon
The title of “Horse
Whisperer” has been used to refer to a number of modern-day natural
horsemanship trainers, but the original holder of this title was a Greek soldier
and historian named Xenophon. A
contemporary of Socrates, Xenophon was a gifted writer as well as a magnificent
horseman.
In 350 BC, Xenophon wrote a treatise called “On Horsemanship”, in which he explained the selection, care, and training of horses for use in war and peace. Many of Xenophon’s recommendations are still common practice among horsemen today. His advice to always treat the horse with kindness and patience is surprising to some who may think that ancient horsemen used brute force to train their mounts, based on the harsh bits and other equipment they used during those times.
“On Horsemanship” includes advice from Xenophon on the selection of a war horse. He noted that a good war mount should be sound, gentle, fast, and obedient, and pointed out that a nervous, skittish, or vicious horse is not acceptable for use in war. A suitable horse should also be willing to leave other horses behind when asked, and should be amenable to having a bit placed in his mouth.
Xenophon also explained how to teach a horse “collection”, which is a way of moving that requires the horse to use his muscles differently than he normally would when being ridden. Collection is a big part of the discipline of dressage, making Xenophon the author of the oldest surviving work on this discipline.
Michael